To Be With You
by S.P.D. Gold Ranger
Summary: Part one of my 'To Be' trilogy. During a latenight babysitting gig for Hana, Nick and Momoko learn what it really means to be with each other...


Author's Note: This is just a little quickie. The inspiration for this story kinda kicked me in the face when I was on my way home from school. As always, I don't own _Ojamajo Doremi_ or any of its affiliated characters, locations, items, yadda, yadda, and whatnot. However, I do own Nick, my original character. For reference, this takes place during Motto (season 3, for those of you who just hopped on the bandwagon). Also, the lullaby Nick and Momoko sing to Hana-chan is an English adaptation of "Koe wo Kikasete", the Sharp ending song.

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"HEY!! WILL YOU TWO GET UP?!"

"Majorika, shush. Be a little quieter!"

If anyone was up at this time of the night, they'd probably be wondering why a little green _majogaeru_ and a tiny blonde fairy were outside someone's bedroom window.

"They're the only ones who know how to deal with this problem!"

"But if you wouldn't yell..."

"Majorika? Lala? What are you two doing by my window?"

Majorika and Lala almost facefaulted from the surprise, only to see Nick, the emerald witch apprentice, standing by the window with a sleepy look in his eyes.

"You guys... it's two-thirty in the _morning!_" Nick stated, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "This had better be good..."

"Hana's up again, and I can't take it!" Majorika blurted out. That caused Nick to wake up pretty quickly.

"Hana-chan's awake? Well, why didn't you say so?" Nick shot back. "I'll be there ASAP. Just let me get Momoko first."

True to his word, about five minutes later, both Nick and Momoko were dressed and on their way to the MAHO-dou.

A loud wailing nearly broke the tranquility of the night.

"Yeah, she's up," Momoko stated. "You think she's hungry?"

"Let's give it a shot," Nick replied as the two lovers headed towards the MAHO-dou's bakery.

In about three minutes, the two had whipped up a batch of Momoko's famous brownies. "Just like Beth used to make," Momoko noted as they entered Hana's room. She looked _real_ upset.

"_Ohayou,_ Hana-chan," Momoko stated, holding a brownie out towards the kawaii magical baby. "You hungry?"

Completely out of the blue, Hana slapped the brownie out of Momoko's hands, still crying. Luckily, Momoko was able to catch the brownie before it went _splat_ on the ground.

"Well, that didn't work. Drat!" Momoko snapped her fingers in frustration, saying the last word in English.

Nick looked at Hana for a couple seconds, noticing something that Momoko hadn't; Hana's eyes were a little red, as if she had been up all night.

"I think I know what the problem is," Nick explained.

Momoko perked up. "You do?"

"She can't seem to get to sleep, and she's real upset about it," Nick replied. "I think she wants us to sing her a lullaby. And I think I know just the one."

With that, Nick scooped Hana into his arms and began slowly rocking her back and forth. "Hana-chan, this song is for you."

That said, Nick began singing.

"_I'd like to tell you a secret...  
__Something special about me...  
__My birthday is tomorrow, mmmm..."_

Hana began to quiet down, listening intently with a smile on her face. Momoko smiled and joined in.

"_There's a chance that I might cry,  
__Or that I'll trip and fall,  
__But this much I can promise you: I'll be kind to you..."_

Hana began making cute noises in time with the lullaby. She was apparently enjoying it.

"_I'll breathe in as deep as I can,  
__and make sure of myself,  
__As I blow up this big balloon, and run to the top of the hill..."_

By this point, both Nick and Momoko were singing.

"_I will always stand up straight, and never sway from side to side,  
__I'll cast a spell on this balloon, and let it fly into the sky...  
__We will go together to a place I dreamed about...  
__Lala, can you hear me? I want to hear your voice..."_

Once the lullaby was finished, Nick could hear some light snoring coming from Hana. The lullaby had done its job.

"Sleep tight, Hana-chan," Nick said soothingly as he tucked Hana under the covers of her bed.

"Wow," Momoko stated. "I never knew you were so good with kids..."

Nick sighed heavily. "I guess I have my dad to thank for that..."

Momoko noticed the look of concern on Nick's face. "Is something wrong, Nick?"

"I never really wanted you to know this until you were old enough to understand, Momoko, but... my dad divorced my mom when I was only two years old."

Momoko looked sad. "Oh... he did?"

"It was about a year before I met you. I didn't really know what happened. All I remember is going into the kitchen for a snack, then I see mom and dad arguing with each other before dad stormed out. I didn't understand what that meant, but I had a feeling dad wouldn't be coming back," Nick explained.

"The year after, my little brother came around, and mom taught me how to take care of him, since she couldn't without dad's help."

"She was a busy woman, huh?"

"Yeah," Nick sighed. "I guess that after being taught how to take care of my baby brother, I guess I just naturally picked up the talent."

Momoko walked up and let her arms rest around Nick. "You must have been so lonely with your mom gone all the time..."

"I was for a while. But, the next year was when I met you, Momoko," Nick replied. "When you and I became friends, I suddenly felt like... like my loneliness was going away."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart, Momoko. I guess that was one of the reasons I fell in love with you: you reminded me that I wouldn't be lonely anymore."

Momoko's eyes began tearing up as she and Nick just held each other.

"I love you, Momoko."

"I love you, too, Nick. I'll never get tired of hearing that."

They stood like that, arms around each other, for quite some time. Behind the nearby door, Majorika was about to go in there and interrupt the moment, but Lala pulled her back just in time.

"Majorika, just let them be. They deserve a moment like this after everything they've been through," Lala explained.

After a while, Nick and Momoko separated, just staring at each other.

"You want me to walk you home, Nick?"

"Sure."

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As the two walked towards Nick's house, the emerald witch apprentice noticed someone in the driveway of his apartment.

Someone _very _familiar.

"Who is that, Nick?" Momoko asked. Nick's eyes went wide with surprise.

"No freaking way. That COULDN'T be... could it?"

Upon closer inspection, Nick realized that it was!

"DAD!!"

That caught Jeff Kelly's attention.

As her boyfriend rushed to embrace his father, Momoko smiled. Looks like things had worked out after all...


End file.
